Legal Fakes

Emily Morris

Legal Fakes

Aperson claiming to be a law enforcement officer called numerous Northern California residents last year to say they owed fines because they or their relatives had missed jury duty. Some such schemes target particularly vulnerable people, but FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller says social media now enable crooks to read up on potential victims and accrue more credibility than in the past.

This made us think of a couple of fraudulent schemes that have targeted lawyers and clients over the years.

SCAMS BY FAKE CLIENTS

These usually come in the form of an email from someone asking for legal help collecting a debt. The lawyer then receives a cashier's check-purportedly the settlement from the debtor-and is asked to wire the money as soon as possible, not wait until the check clears. The checks, documents, and websites created to perpetuate these schemes can be very convincing, according to a State Bar ethics alert. The kicker: Attorneys bamboozled this way might face State Bar discipline if the transactions involve a trust account.

SCAMS BY FAKE LAWYERS

According to an FBI statement, a Florida man named Michael Nelson set up a fake law firm in Atlanta and Los Angeles after finding out that someone who shared his name belonged to the California State Bar. He hired attorneys and support staff and even managed to change the details of the California Nelson's State Bar profile. The imposter initially made off with at least $35,000 from Bay Area victims, but he was indicted in 2010 and eventually sentenced to 42 months in prison.

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